The Ancient Order of Hibernians, Alec Campbell, Mauch Chunk Division I, Carbon County held it's annual St. Patrick's Day Parade Grand Marshal Dinner at the Mahoning Valley Country Club last Friday evening.

The dinner was held in preparation for the 15th Annual Carbon County St. Patrick's Day Parade which was held on Broadway in Jim Thorpe this past weekend.

Receiving the honor of the title of Grand Marshal for the 2012 St. Patrick's Day Parade in Jim Thorpe was AOH charter member Charles "Chuck" Thamarus.

In addition to being a charter member of the A.O.H., Alex Campbell, Mauch Chunk Division 1, Thamarus has been active in the planning and directing of the annual parade since it began in 1998.

Thamarus is married to the former Doris Paul and they have three sons, Josuha, Glenn and Aaron, and two daughters, Mollie and Jodiann.

He graduated in 1966 from Jim Thorpe Area Junior Senior High School, after which time he joined the Navy and was attached to the Naval Underwater Warfare Division at the Naval Ordnance Testing Station on San Clemente Island off the coast of California.

The Grand Marshal was employed by the former Monk Fur Company in Jim Thorpe until its closing and was employed briefly by the Jim Thorpe Area School District.

He then was hired by the Silberline Manufacturing Company, where for more than eight years he held the office of vice president of the United Steelworkers Local 485. He retired after 25 years of service with the company.

Four Aides to the Grand Marshal also were presented with parade sashes and introduced to those in attendance.

The four Aides included Francis Thamarus and Kevin Thamarus, brother and nephew of the Grand Marshal, respectively; Molly Ebbert and Kathleen Ahner.

Among the dignitaries in attendance at the banquet were state Rep. Doyle Heffley, Carbon County Commissioner William O'Gurek, Recorder of Deeds and past Grand Marshal Emmett McCall, Jim Thorpe Borough Council President Betsy Ahner, Jim Thorpe Councilwomen Joanne Klitsch, and Carbon County treasurer and past Grand Marshal Ron Sheehan.

The St. Patrick's Day Parade Committee & Carbon County A.O.H. donated $1,000 to the Hunter's Hope Foundation which was established in the memory of Hunter Wolfe who had lost his battle with cancer.

The donation was accepted by Hunter's mother Kim Sargent.

The foundation is a nonprofit organization that helps the families of children with cancer cope with the extraordinary expenses that come as a direct result of the child's illness.

In observance of the 15th anniversary of the parade, the parade committee also invited all past Grand Marshals or their representatives to participate in the 2012 event.